Rawhide Canyon Ranch

Rawhide Canyon Ranch is a desirable large-scale cattle ranch located in southeast New Mexico and located in the Lincoln National Forest. The ranch is located near Queen, New Mexico which is 50+ miles southwesterly from Carlsbad, New Mexico. The ranch consists of 380 acres of deeded land and 72,300 acres of Lincoln National Forest grazing permit area plus a permitted carrying capacity of 806 Animal Unit equivalents year-round. Located on the northern flank of the Guadelupe Mountains, the ranch is characterized by grama grass and pinion trees at an elevation of 5800 feet. The year-round grass ranch provides economy of scale and a year-round grazing permit affording excellent economics.

ACREAGE
The ranch consists of 380 acres of deeded land and 72,300 acres of Lincoln National Forest grazing permit area. The ranch has miles and miles of upgraded boundary and pasture fences. The southwest side of the ranch has a natural boundary formed by the upper rim of Upper Dog Canyon. The most recent last two owners of the ranch have upgraded and added new pipeline now exceeding over 40 miles of pipeline. The pipeline water is sourced from permitted spring in Last Chance Canyon as well as two wells (Coats and Anderson) that all provide water to 45+ tanks in nine pastures and four traps across the ranch. Additional water is stored and used from eight large earthen dirt stock tanks.

The deeded lands are the “base acreage” for the permit. The permit is renewed to the holder of the base acreage so long as the terms of the permit are not in default. The permit is a 10-year permit and renews in 2032.

A good gravel road into the headquarters is adequate for semi-trucks needed for shipping and receiving.

IMPROVEMENTS
Improvements include a modular home, single wide trailer, shop/office/bunkhouse building and corrals. Additional improvements include pipelines and fences on the ranch.

A nearby owner’s home could be added at Queen, NM which is within 19 miles of the ranch headquarters.

OPERATIONS
Cattle are disbursed across the ranch in grazing groups that line up with the water sources and feed availability. With modern genetics, the ranch can wean calves in the 550 to 600 lb range for steer calves. Operating costs are very low with only minor supplemental feeding required.

The Forest Service permit provides nine pastures allowing for rest rotation and allowing the herd to be spread out over large acreages to utilize existing feed and water resources. The four traps are used to hold livestock when working cattle for branding and shipping. Labor is minimal for checking livestock and water sources.

The annual Forest Service grazing permit fees were $13,057.20 for 2023.

Estimated Real Estate Taxes are $2,106.72

SUMMARY
The Rawhide Canyon Ranch offers a large sustainable cattle ranch that has excellent economic feasibility driven by the year round grazing on public land. Rarely does a ranch of this size, makeup and opportunity come on the market. This is one of the few ranches in the western United States that can pay for itself in terms of operating costs plus the debt service payments required on a purchase loan.